While shopping for Health insurance in CA, consumers everywhere should beware of disguised benefit plans. They are often called limited medical benefits or mini-med plans. Although they appear to offer comprehensive coverage, these plans actually might provide very inadequate compensation in the event of illness or injury.
The benefits provided by these plans are not nearly the same as major medical insurance or comprehensive health coverage. Mini-med plans and limited medical benefit insurance policies are usually advertised as inexpensive alternatives to major medical plans. The level of coverage offered by both options can be very low. With major medical plans, there are limits placed on how much a consumer must pay for specific treatments or incidents. However, there are no limits with mini-med plans. In addition to this, there is a cap amount allowed each year. Plan members are responsible for any expenses incurred beyond that amount.
Since health plans with limited benefits come in many forms, consumers must be careful while comparing options. If an individual signs for one of these plans experiences a major illness or injury, inadequate benefits can put that consumer in a difficult financial situation. While the benefits of these plans are not comparable to comprehensive coverage, they are often advertised as such. The following are signs of a limited plan or mini-med plan:
- There are annual limits for what the policy covers.
- The plans require association memberships.
- They are often described as innovative or cost effective.
- The premium offers are only available during the period of open enrollment.
- There are no pre-existing condition exclusions.
- Pharmacy and medical discount cards are often sold as insurance.
- The companies usually make unsolicited calls or send frequent emails.
When shopping for Medical insurance in CA, consumers should always ask questions. It is important to know exactly what a plan offers before agreeing to the terms. To avoid the costly effects of signing up for an inadequate plan, be sure to ask an agent for the following information:
- A detailed explanation of all benefits, exclusions and limits.
- The full address and name of the insurance company’s underwriter.
- A detailed outline of coverage provisions.
- The agent’s full name, address and National Producer Number. Agents should be licensed in the states they operate in.
- An explanation of what percentage of the monthly payment goes toward the premium and how much goes toward other fees.
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Thanks to the widespread popularity of social network sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and LinkedIn, it’s easier than ever to find personal information about an individual. There’s little hesitation or forethought as users of these sites post everything from their vacation schedules and photos to the most mundane and taboo details of their personal lives. Such information might be intended for the user’s friends and family, but, in many cases, anyone with access to the Internet can see it if they’re looking.
The information an employer can uncover about an existing or potential employee from a simple Google search is often far more detailed and reflective of real life than a job application, resume, and interview combined. On the good side, an employer might find positive articles written by or about an applicant, marks from professional peers, and volunteerism efforts. However, on the bad side, an employer might find unappealing, profane language; graphic videos or pictures; derogatory comments about an employer; or text that clearly shows an unscrupulous demeanor. Good or bad, many of these finding will directly influence an employer’s decision to hire or pass.
Although a quick Google search of a job applicant can be extremely revealing, many employers still wonder if it’s wise for them to conduct one.
One complication would be an employer discovering information that would bias and complicate their hiring decision. Let’s say an employer does an Internet search on a female applicant, discovers that she has several children, and therefore decides not to hire her because her status as a mother might interfere with her ability to put in extra hours at work. If the applicant was to discover that the search was done by the employer and decide to pursue legal action for discrimination, then the employer could be burdened with proving his hiring decision wasn’t based on the applicant’s status as a mother.
Another complication would be an employer using an applicant’s off-duty, legal activities as a basis for discrimination. Let’s say an employer does a search, finds that a male applicant is involved with a political or social cause they don’t necessarily agree with, and therefore doesn’t hire him. Many states actually have laws prohibiting such employer discrimination, meaning an employer can’t legally deny an applicant a position based on political or social views that aren’t relevant to his/her work duties and only take place during off-duty hours. There must be a legitimate business reason for the hiring decision.
Federal law requires employers to make a disclosure if they use an applicant’s credit history to take adverse actions, and some state laws are similarly requiring employers to disclose any adverse information they find in public records about an applicant. Such disclosures are certainly a costly inconvenience to employers. There’s also a question of just how reliable the information is since the information could be pertaining to a different person with the exact same first name and surname as the applicant. Furthermore, it doesn’t take 30 minutes for a begrudged or vindictive individual to create a web page to discredit another individual by passing off false, misleading, or distorted information as fact.
The above points certainly show a liability risk for employers doing Internet searches. However, there’s also a risk in not thoroughly researching potential employees. Let’s say an employer fails to do an Internet search on an employer that later commits a workplace crime. Had the search been done, the employer would’ve found that the employee had a violent past and criminal inclinations. In such a scenario, the employer could face a lawsuit from the employee’s victims for not conducting a thorough evaluation.
When it comes to hiring, the best approach in making an informed, legal business decision is usually to not use one or the other, but rather combine public Internet information with reference checks, interview processes, applications, aptitude testing, and any other credible source of information. Remember, the Internet can be an invaluable hiring tool, but only if used wisely.
For all your Business Insurance in CA, call on us.
Scurich Insurance
320 East Lake Avenue, PO Box 1170
Watsonville, CA 95077-1170
Office: 1-831-722-3541
Toll Free: 1-800-320-3666
http://www.scurichinsurance.com/
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Scurich Insurance Services, located in Northern California, has been serving the Monterey Bay Area since 1924.
There are many things that can affect your Auto Insurance Policy, here are a few that you may not know:
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The type of car you drive affects your insurance rates, small sporty cars are going to be much more expensive than mid sized cars with many safety features.
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Comprehensive coverage is not the same as complete coverage, comprehensive coverage only means that your auto is covered in scenarios other than collisions such as vandalism, fire damage, theft, etc.
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It is possible to ask your insurance company for discounts, most companies offer various discounts such as safe driver, and student discounts among others.
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Never let your insurance policy lapse, driving without insurance will wind up being very costly and will affect you getting insurance with another company in the future.
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Pay semi-annually instead of monthly if possible, many companies will give you a discount if you are able to pay for your insurance six months at a time as opposed to monthly and this could ultimately save you a great deal of money.
If you’re looking for better service, lower prices or just need a change, we are easy to find.
Not sure if you’re covered enough? We can help find fatal gaps in your current policy and avoid potential disaster.
Start Here to complete our simple Request Form and a representative will respond within 24 hours.
We look forward to offering you great service.
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Scurich Insurance
320 East Lake Avenue, PO Box 1170
Watsonville, CA 95077-1170
Office: 1-831-722-3541
Toll Free: 1-800-320-3666
http://www.scurichinsurance.com/
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Here are more crazy insurance claims we found online!
From www.bloginsure.com
9/10/2010 by Miranda Marquit
“4. Broken nose as a result of ogling women Greece is known as a popular tourist destination. It is also known for beautiful women wearing very little in the heat. While vacationing in Athens, one man couldn’t keep his eyes where he was walking. As he ogled a group of women wearing bikinis, he walked straight into a bus stop shelter. He hit so hard that his nose was broken. The man went to the hospital to have it looked at, and his insurance company picked up the tab.
5. Stressed out due to shooting a monkey Law enforcement jobs are unquestionably stressful, especially considering the strange and often violent situations cops find themselves in. Officer Frank Chiafari, however, found out some emotional duress claims can be considered too far-fetched. In 2009, Chiafari arrived at the scene of a brutal attack by a chimpanzee that left one person seriously injured. He shot the chimp when it tried to enter his police car. Chiafari filed a workers compensation insurance claim for stress the situation caused him, but the city decided that, because it was a chimp and not a human who was shot, Chiafari was not eligible.
6. A bunch of monkeys robbed me When visiting Asia, it’s common to encounter monkeys. They can be playful, but also mischievous. A couple in Malaysia found out the hard way. After heading out on an excursion, the couple returned to the hotel to find their clothes missing, and their room a shambles. A brief investigation uncovered that a bunch of monkeys broke into the hotel room through an open room window and stole the clothes. They scattered them through a nearby rainforest. Lucky for the couple that they had travel insurance – which covered the cost of the clothes.
7. A case of road rash A man allowed his girlfriend ride his motorcycle, which she crashed. However, he was worried that, since he wasn’t driving the bike at the time, the claim would not be paid out. So he told his insurance company that he was driving. But to make it look real, he asked his friend to drag him behind a truck in order to produce a realistic case of road rash. Then, with his evidence on his body, he filed his claim. Unfortunately for him, his girlfriend had already told the police that she had been driving the motorcycle when it crashed. Ouch!”
Do you have any stories to share? Tell us….
Scurich Insurance
320 East Lake Avenue, PO Box 1170
Watsonville, CA 95077-1170
Office: 1-831-722-3541
Toll Free: 1-800-320-3666
Email:[email protected]
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Here are 3 bizarre insurance claims that we came across on the internet:
From www.bloginsure.com
9/10/2010 by Miranda Marquit
“We all know that insurance is meant to protect our assets. If something expensive happens that’s beyond our control, the ability to file an insurance claim means we don’t have to come up with the money to pay for it ourselves. However, we’ve found some strange insurance claims out there. We can’t believe some of these have even filed in the first place. More astonishingly, some of these claims were actually paid. Here are eight of the weirdest we’ve found:
1. Abducted by aliens We generally think that alien abduction only happens on the X-Files. But some people take it very seriously because there’s a market for alien abduction insurance. Goodfellow Rebecca Ingrams Pearson (GRIP), a London-based insurance brokerage, specializes in strange types of insurance – anything from immaculate conception insurance to alien abduction insurance. In fact, the company even paid a claim once. GRIP paid out one million pounds to a man in Britain who claimed to have been abducted. True, the man was a business partner with the managing director of GRIP, but the claim was still paid.
2. Dentures lost at sea Cruises are popular vacations, among the old and the young alike. However, it the sea gets choppy, you might find yourself getting seasick. One man found this out the hard way when he lost his dentures overboard. His cruise ship was experiencing rough waters in the Bay of Biscay, and his stomach was experiencing a rather upset feeling. As he vomited over the side of the ship, his dentures fell into the water, and were lost to the depths. Lucky for him, his travel insurance decided that his false teeth constituted “lost baggage.”
3. Had a bad hair day While on vacation, a man filed a claim with his travel insurance. He claimed that his daughter singed her hair in the oven, necessitating a hair cut. However, the outcome of the haircut wasn’t satisfactory. He claimed that the travel insurance should cover the cost of the haircut. The insurance company didn’t agree, and refused to cough up.
What do you think of these claims? Pretty wild right! At Scurich Insurance we handle all kinds of claims, crazy ones too! We’re happy to review your policies for you to be sure you are properly covered.
Scurich Insurance
320 East Lake Avenue, PO Box 1170
Watsonville, CA 95077-1170
Office: 1-831-722-3541
Toll Free: 1-800-320-3666
Email:[email protected]
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When most people think about earthquakes in the United States, California and Alaska are the two states that come to mind. However, earthquakes can happen in any part of the country. Many people move out of areas that are prone to earthquakes after experiencing one to escape the possibility of a repeat experience. The truth is that there is no place that is completely safe from earthquakes. They are a very real threat that everyone must consider and plan for. One of the most vital aspects of proper preparedness is having ample insurance coverage.
Earthquake damage isn’t covered in the majority of Homeowners policies. This is also true for business policies. Both types of policies specify that damage from earth movement is not covered. Although actual damage from a quake might not be covered, property insurance might provide coverage for fires and other incidents that occur as a result of it. Policyholders should scour their policies to understand the specific exclusions. If the policy seems difficult to read, it’s important to contact an agent with any questions.
Many people think they won’t experience a major earthquake during their lifetime. This is especially true for those who live in areas where earthquakes happen every 100 years or less. Although many people might not experience a strong earthquake like the recent Virginia incident, there are over 5,000 incidents recorded each year by the USGS. Damage from earthquakes has been recorded in all 50 states in history. There have been reports of damage in 39 states alone since 1900. This proves that although some people might not live in areas that commonly experience earthquakes; they’re still not immune to the threat.
Earthquake insurance is available as a rider, which is added to a business or personal property policy. People who have one of these types of coverage should contact their insurer to find out what coverage options are available. Since they’re unpredictable and happen suddenly, it’s best to be prepared for all types of disasters. Earthquake insurance is so important that it can’t be stressed enough. Although the majority of people assume all California homeowners have this type of coverage, research indicates that about 12% actually have this type of insurance. The nation’s average is less than 12%.
Earthquake insurance costs vary by location, building type and the age of the building. It’s much more expensive to insure older buildings. In addition to this, brick structures are more expensive to insure. Buildings with wood frames withstand the force of earthquakes better, so it’s cheaper to insure them.
To offer an example, a home with a wood frame in Washington might cost between $1 and $3 per $1,000 of coverage. The same home might be less than $.50 per $1,000 insured on the East Coast. However, a brick home might cost between $3 and $15 per $1,000 in the Pacific Northwest. In most East Coast locations, the same home might only be between $.60 and $.90 per $1,000.
Every earthquake policy also has a deductible. This means that homeowners must pay upfront for a portion of the damages before the insurer pays the remaining amount. The deductible might be up to 20% of the structure’s replacement value. The percentage depends on the insurer and the location of the structure.
There are also options for renters. There are coverage policies that protect personal property. In addition to this, they usually cover living expenses if the building becomes uninhabitable after an earthquake. It’s important for renters to keep a list of belongings and their values. Major appliances, furniture, electronics and other expensive items must all be documented properly. A new way of creating a record of belongings is making a narrated video tour of the home and focusing on belongings. Contact one of our insurance agents to secure the earthquake coverage that is right for your individual needs.
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Scurich Insurance
320 East Lake Avenue, PO Box 1170
Watsonville, CA 95077-1170
Office: 1-831-722-3541
Toll Free: 1-800-320-3666
Email:[email protected]
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